Board approves Ashley Elementary construction documents after months of community input; staff to pursue CMAR procurement and follow up on funding

The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education on April 22 approved construction documents for a new Ashley Elementary School and authorized staff to finalize bid packets and pursue a construction manager-at-risk (CMAR) procurement model, voting 7–2.

The action follows more than an hour of public comment urging the board to ensure local hiring, strong minority- and women-owned business (MWBE) participation, and a community benefits approach to the long-delayed East Winston project. “This would help with making certain that we continue to build equity,” said Rhonda Mays, who said she worked at Ashley Elementary for more than 12 years and urged a qualifications-based procurement process. Forsyth County Commissioner Melisha Woodbury urged the board to seek at least 30% MWBE participation and to press the County Commission for additional bond premium funds.

Board staff presented the project site plan and schedule. Daryl Walker, senior executive director of facility planning and construction, said construction documents were completed in March and…